Farm Safety Week: Wednesday

The children in ag families are the focus on Wednesday for Farm Safety and Health Week. Schlater said supervision is key to protecting those we love. “There is a lot of activity going on with harvest,” said Schlater, “Farm yards are buzzing with tractors and combines. Agriculture is unique in that the workplace is also the home. Clearly, children are often playing very close to where the farm yard is located. So, make sure you have a safe play area outlined for them and outline some boundaries of where they can and cannot play.”

There is data regarding youth-involved accidents though it may not be completely accurate due to varying reporting methods across the nation. “About every three days, a child dies in an agriculture-related incident,” said Schlater, “Of the leading sources of fatalities among kids, 25% involve machinery including tractors and combines; 17% involve motor vehicles including ATVs and UTVs; and 16% are drownings.”

The organization itself was founded after an Iowa farm wife lost her 11-year-old son to an accident involving a gravity flow grain wagon. They now work to provide resources to young families on how to both protect and educate their children and a large majority of that information is available via their website.